Tonight at 9pm eastern time my latest travel video will premiere on YouTube. This one is about the amazing island of Trinidad. I really hope you will join me for…
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Trinidad & Tobago is a two island nation in the southeastern part of the Caribbean. Even though the islands are very much about of the Caribbean both culturally and politically, they are geographically more related to South America. In fact, the western part of Trinidad is only 5-8 miles from South America. While the islands of the Leeward and Windward islands are spaced 20-30 miles apart, Trinidad & Tobago are 80 miles south of Grenada. Another difference from the other Caribbean islands is how much bigger Trinidad is. Plus it has significantly more natural resources and does not rely on tourism. Although this is not true for Tobago, most of the tourist trade come from Trinidad.
The islands were first inhabited by Amerindian people from South American. Starting in the 1530’s the Spanish fought the natives until the chief, Wannawanare, finally granted the area around St Josephs to the Spanish in 1592 and moved to another part of Trinidad. Under Spanish rule, many slaves were imported to work on cocoa plantations in Trinidad, but when the British seized the island in 1798 slavery was abolished. To make up for the shortage of labor the British Empire encouraged heavy immigration from India with promises of land grants, thus the large Indian population.
Helpful Info
Population – 1,353,900 (Trinidad 1,293,000 & Tobago 60,900)
Money – Trinidad & Tobago dollar (as of Aug 2018 US$1 = TT$6.73; current rate available at XE.com)
Language – English
Religion – 55.3% Christian, 18.2% Hindu, 5% Muslim
When to go – Dec-June is most popular. Summer is nice also, but a little hotter and more humid. Hurricanes most active Aug-Oct.
World Heritage Sites – 0 – None
Country formed – Ceded to UK in 1802 (Trinidad by Spain) and 1814 (Tobago by France). Gained independence from UK on 31 Aug 1962
During this time Tobago’s history was separate from Trinidad and changed hands between the European Empires 33 times (more than any other Caribbean island). Tobago was ceded to the British with the Treaty of Paris in 1814, but it was not until after the sugar plantations collapsed that Tobago was united with Trinidad in 1889. Together Trinidad & Tobago became an independent country on August 31, 1962. The country prospered due to large deposits of oil and natural gas and has become the wealthiest nation in the Caribbean.
My Visit
I spent several weeks in Trinidad & Tobago in the summer of 2018 while cruising around with a buddy. I even had a family of three come aboard for a couple weeks to explore with us. In February 2020 I returned to see sights I missed the first time and to participate in Carnival (considered the 2nd biggest in the world behind Rio in Brazil).
Likes, Dislikes, and Recommendations
Both Trinidad & Tobago are loaded with nature and there is a wide variety to chose from. This includes beaches, reefs, rain forest, mountains, swamps, tar pits, and more. The other thing I really liked about Trinidad & Tobago is how culturally diverse and accepting it is with black, Indian (known locally as East Indian), white, Christian, Hindu, and Muslim all coexisting. Given how much the economy does not rely on tourism it is much easier to get the local flavor than other islands.
My biggest complaint about Trinidad & Tobago is how few anchorages there are for such large islands. I would say each island has 3 (maybe 4) good anchorages and 2-3 more on the north shores that are passable in good weather.
I can not stress enough that you really must met Jessie James (taxi & tour guide) and take his Taste of Trini tour (expect to eat more than you thought possible 🙂 ). Jessie James can set up other tours for you, as I do not recommend driving in Trinidad until you are comfortable with the directions and driving style. On Tobago renting a car is the perfect idea to get around and see the island.
There are many wonderful places you should see, but my favorites are the abandoned leper colony, the underground lake, Asa Wright Nature Center, and Argyle Waterfall. You can get even more helpful hints, travel tips, and places to see by reading my Trinidad & Tobago blog posts below and watching the travel videos I made for Trinidad and Tobago.
All Blogs From Trinidad & Tobago
I had a great time in Trinidad & Tobago the month of February when I was there. I saw some great sites and had a blast at Carnival. But I…
Yesterday I told you how Chacahacare is the best anchorage in Trinidad. Well today I am going to tell you about the second best and that would be the southeast…
Trinidad is a great island to visit, because there is so much stuff to see and do, but it is not a good place to go cruising. This is because…
As those of you that have been reading the last several days (and weeks) know, I spent Carnival (same time as Mardi Gras) in Trinidad this year. I had so…
J’ouvert is a gallicization version of jou ouvè, the Antillean Creole French term meaning “dawn” or “daybreak”, which makes sense since it starts around 3:30-4am and goes through sunrise until…
The last Sunday night of Carnival season in Trinidad & Tobago is when they have Dimanchie Gras, which is the pageant to view top ten costumes for men & women…
For the last several weeks I have been writing about Trinidad and Tobago and all the places I explored on my second trip here. Well as much fun as I…
Since I was in Trinidad for two and a half to three weeks and staying in Chaguaramas where all the yacheting facilities are, I figured I should get a few…
One place I wanted to check out in Port of Spain that I did not get to see two years ago when I was in Trinidad & Tobago was the…
Today I am publishing a video blog showing me raising, sailing, and dousing my new-to-me spinnaker sail. I bought a used ParaSailor at the end of last season and set…
Yesterday I told you all about my hike up to the old US tracking station and how I heard lots of red howler monkeys all around me. Plus, I got…
Back in mid February I rented a car in Trinidad for five days and have been telling you all about my adventures over the last two weeks. Well today is…
The Chaguaramas Military History & Aerospace Museum is a mixed bag. It was formed in 1991 by Gaylord Kelshall, who did a wonderful job in putting together a history of…
If you want a great view over looking Port of Spain then Fort George is the place you should head. Here you will be able to look down onto the…
Yesterday I told you about Maracas Waterfall and how that was not the last stop of the day. That is because we drove down the hills to St Augustine and…
Up in the North Range, which is the hills that run full length of the northern part of Trinidad, you will find Maracas Waterfall. It is about a ten minute…
Yesterday Holly, James, and I visited Nariva Swamp where Bobby took us on a boat tour to Bush Bush Island to see red howler monkeys and white-fronted capuchin monkeys. It…
Today we started our second day of adventuring around Trinidad in the car I rented, or as Holly liked to say Another Adventure 2.0 (her boat is named Another Adventure,…
I hope you liked reading about the Pitch lake two day ago and watching Holly, James, and I playing in the mud volcano yesterday. We were able to do these…
After we took the tour of Pitch Lake in southern Trinidad that I wrote about yesterday, we drove an hour east to check out a mud volcano. Not really knowing…
You bet it is! Pitch Lake in southwest Trinidad is the largest natural deposit of asphalt in the world, around 10 million tons, and covers 100 acres with depths up…
Chaguaramas is the northwest peninsula of Trinidad and where you will find almost all marinas and ship yards to haul-out, store, and work on yachts in the entire island of…
YouTube has a new feature which allows me to set a premiere for new videos and I want to try it out. With that said I hope you will join…
Two years ago I explored the entire island of Tobago with my friend Steve, but the one thing we did not get to do is check out Buccoo Reef on…
In order to complete my customs and immigration check in at Tobago Island I had to pay a fee, but in order to do that you need local currency. With…
The check in process is fairly easy, if a bit time consuming, and the best part is the officials are ok if you anchor in Store Bay on the west…
At the beginning of February I did a 75 mile open water crossing at night by myself. I sailed from the south side of Grenada to Store Bay on the…
Today is going to be my last post about Trinidad for a while and I could find no other photo that summed it up more than seeing a flock of…
I had an absolutely fantastic time in Trinidad & Tobago and I did not get to see everything I want to see in Trinidad, but I will have to come…
We are going to finish off the week with another shot inside the cave on Gaspar island, which is just off Trinidad. If you have not already you should check…
Well it is true. The US Navy took over the entire area of Chaguaramas and ended up forming the largest US Naval base outside US soil. The base slowly got…
The very best part of the short tour we took over to Gaspar Island, across the bay from Chaguaramas in Trinidad, was going into a cave and finding this amazing pond….
When I arrived in Chaguaramas, Trinidad I heard about the Gaspar Grande cave with a pool of water in it and I knew I had to go see it. It…
As we were touring the Caroni Swamp in a local flat boat we keep getting closer and closer to a flock of flamingos. Turns out were could get this close…
While I loved the many places I have seen during my land tours on Trinidad, the one bad part of Trinidad is the lack of places for cruising. As big…
I love how this photo has the rainbow coming down in the middle of a flock of flamingos in the Caroni Swamp in Trinidad with the national bird, Scarlet Ibis,…
The Caroni Swamp is a 12,000 acre swamp located on the west coast of Trinidad. It is the 2nd largest wetlands on the island and is protected under the Ramsar…
Did you like the Asa Wright Bird Center yesterday? Well remember the little creek they damned up years ago to form a bathing hole? All around it are these little…
In the northern mountains of Trinidad you will find the Asa Wright Nature Center deep in the rainforest. Being up here in the cool wet climate was so tranquil you…
I found these hummingbirds at the Asa Wright bird center up in the mountains of Trinidad. I must have spent 15 minutes and 50 photos to get some that I…
On Thursday I introduced you to Jesse James and told you how invaluable he is as a cruising resource. Today I am going to tell you all about his tour…
Yesterday I introduced you to Jesse James, who is the best tour guide in Trinidad. On Sunday I will tell you about one of the tours he took us on…
Jesse James is the taxi service, tour guide, and go to guy when you are in Chaguaramas. I can tell you from personal experience, he is a joy to be…
Yesterday I told you all about the Magnificent Seven, which are some incredible houses build in the middle of Port Of Spain, the capital of Trinidad, during the beginning of…
The Magnificent Seven Houses are mansions located next to each other on one side of Maraval Road while the other side is the Queen’s Park Savannah in northern Port of…
If I was to look at the attached photo I would guess Charleston, South Carolina. Would you? Well it turns out that in the middle of Port Of Spain there…
The Royal Botanic Gardens in Trinidad and Tobago are located in Port of Spain across the street from the north end of Queen’s Park Savannah. The Gardens were established in…
Yesterday I wrote all about the Port Of Spain zoo. Well right next to it is a free botantical garden and this purple flowered tree was my favorite in a…
The Emperor Valley Zoo is the biggest zoo in Trinidad & Tobago and first opened on 8 November 1952 by Governor Sir Hubert Rance. It is located North of the…
Tomorrow I am going to share the story of our time at the Port Of Spain zoo, but check out this lama. Wow! I told the zoo keeper feeding them…
Port of Spain is located on the Gulf of Paria, on the northwest coast of the island of Trinidad, and has a metropolitan population of over 80,000, but the transient…
We are done exploring the leper colony over at Chacachacare, which is west of the north end of Trinidad. I hope you found it as fascinating as I did. Today makes…
After spending an entire day exploring the leper colony and nunnery on Chacachacare, which I have been writing about this last week, we got up the next morning and took…
As I was sailing between the Tridad islands west of the north coast I went right through a whole flock of pelicans. I love seeing these guys fly out at…
In 1868 the Dominican sisters of St. Catherine of Siena started treating the leprosy inflicted population of Trinidad. In 1920 the government chose to build a hospital, refectory, a bakery,…
Yesterday I wrote about the leper colony found on the north side of the large bay at Chacachacare, which is 5 miles west of Trindad’s north coast. Well as we were…
Chacachacare is an island five miles west of Trinidad and is a great place to get away from the crowds. The island is horseshoe in shape and offers a wonderful…
Have you even visited a real life leper colony? Well in Trinidad there is an island called Chacachacare that had a huge leper colony up until 1984 when it was abandonded….
The day after Steve and I sailed from Tobago to Trinidad we were joined by a great family of three who were Greg, Susan, and 14-year-old daughter Bridgit. One of…
What is skurfing? Haha. Good question. It is when you take a surfboard of paddle board and get towed behind a dinghy as if you were skiing. Thus the name…
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I have Greg and Susan talking about their first experience with blue water sailing, which they did with me as we sailed overnight from Trinidad to Grenada. They are very…
I was looking through some of the photos I had not used as “Photos Of The Day” and found this gem of Argyle Waterfall in the middle of Tobago. Steve…
As I told you yesterday, when I was writing all about Green Hill Waterfall, I got hurt bringing you today’s photo of the day. The entire time I was sliding…
Two days ago I told you about Hillsborough Dam and today we are at Green Hill Waterfall, which is between the dam and Mount St George on Easterfield Rd. I…
Yesterday I wrote all about exploring Hillsborough Dam and today I want to use my favorite angle as the photo of the day. What do you think of the photo?…
Our second to last stop in Tobago is Hillsborough Dam holding the Hillsborough Reservoir, which is the major source of drinking water for the island of Tobago. It is located…
Yesterday I told you how Steve and I got a hour long tour to a waterfall that we did not even know about. It was total luck that we found…
Highland Waterfall is the tallest single waterfall on Tobago and is quite a sight. I was trying to find Craig Hall Waterfall because it was featured in the 1960 movie…
I bet almost no one goes and sees it. Just like we did on Nutmeg Grove that I wrote about yesterday, we happen to stumble apon this amazing waterfall. You…
As Steve and I were driving around the island of Tobago I saw Nutmeg Grove on the map we were given. Of course, I was intrigued and wanted to see…
Check out this historic watermill that was used on this old plantation! I think it is beautiful even in such a dilapidated state. Can you see how almost half the…
On Sunday I wrote all about Store Bay on the west end of Tobago and I told you Fort Milford was located here and we would check it out today….
Yesterday I told you how Store Bay is one of the best anchorages on Tobago and what all there is to do there. I also told you I would talk…
Store Bay is the anchorage on the west coast of Tobago, which gives it an unencumbered view of the golden globe as it settles below the horizon each day. Is…
Yesterday I told you all about Englishman Bay on Tobago, but I saved the best photo to use as today’s photo of the day. To me there is nothing this…
Englishman’s Bay is a secluded beach on the north coast of Tobago, between Castara and Parlatuvier bays. Although the bay does not draw the large numbers of beachgoers that Tobago’s…
Unfortunately the angle of the photo makes it look more protected than reality. With that said it does provide good protection in normal weather, but not what you would want…
After we left Argyle Waterfall that I told you about on Sunday, Steve and I decided to drive over the mountains to get to the north shore by doing a…
As I told you yesterday, Argyle waterfall is the most famous waterfall in Tobago. I had so much fun climbing up the first 10 level of this amazing waterfall. Today…
There is no debating that Argyle Waterfall is the most famous and for good reason. Destination Trinidad & Tobago says of Argyle Waterfall, “At 175 feet (54 metres), Argyle, Tobago’s…
Check out the view as we look up Argyle Waterfall. This is the third level and I am told there are 40 total. How cool is that? On Sunday I will…
The answer may surprise you. It is bamboo. Now I bet you are wondering why I am talking about bamboo, which is part of the Asian culture, when I have…
Yesterday I told you how the movie Swiss Family Robinson was filmed on Tobago almost 60 years ago. Well I can tell you that except for a few of the…
Swiss Family Robinson is a 1960 Disney live action film. It is a tale of a shipwrecked family building an island home and is loosely based on the 1812 novel…
When I was at Genesis Nature Park and I got to see some awesome animals. I wrote all about how Michael had turned his front yard into a combination zoo…
Both Steve and I read about Genesis Nature Park and wanted to check it out during our driving tour. At first, we drove right by it because we did not…
I am not quoting Al Pacino in Scarface here (ok I was referencing him though), because I really do want to introduce you to this really cool tortoise I saw…
After seeing the capital city, Scarborough, and taking a bus to the northern part of Tobago, Steve and I decided to rent a car for a few days. By this…
I really can’t get enough of the fort overlooking Scarborough. Everywhere I looked I found another amazing scene. This one is looking south from the fort and I love the…
So there Steve and I were just walking around Scarborough and checking it out on the first day we arrived on Tobago. We finished checking in around noon and walked…
Yesterday I took you on a tour through Fort King George overlooking the capital of Tobago, but what I did not tell you was how photogenic it is. As I…
In October 1777, Lord George Macartney, British Governor General of Grenada and Tobago, authorized the erection of two barracks and a double kitchen to house two companies of soldiers on…
Check out the view from Fort King George overlooking Tobago’s capital of Scarborough. This is one of the be senic overlooks to view town and the deep water harbor. From…
Settled in 1654 the town is named after Scarborough in Yorkshire, United Kingdom. It is the 9th most populated city in Trinidad & Tobago, but with that said the population…
Tomorrow I am going to explore Scarbarough with you, but I loved my time on Little Tobago so much I wanted to share another photo. This one is of the…
Little Tobago Island sits less than two miles from the northeast corner of Tobago Island in the southern Caribbean. If you look at the island on a map it has…
Tobago Island in the southern Caribbean has several awesome nature reserves, but one of my favorites was at Little Tobago Island off northeast coast about 2 miles. Here you will…
Tobago as a whole is kind of off the tourist and cruising radar and Charlotteville is really off the radar. Most of Tobago’s tourism is actually people coming for a…
Yesterday I wrote how Steve and I sailed overnight from Grenada to Tobago. Once we were checked into the country the first thing we did was take public transportation in…